Vacuum cleaner dustcup and conduit construction

ABSTRACT

An upright vacuum cleaner having a housing with a handle at an upper end and a base at the bottom end. The base is pivotally attached to the housing and has a floor inlet nozzle facing generally downwardly from it. A dustcup assembly is associated with at least one of the housing and the base, and includes a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduit formed separately from the bottom wall and attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet. The fluid conduit extends into the interior space defined by the sidewall. The vacuum cleaner also has a vacuum source associated with at least one of the housing and the base. The vacuum source is adapted to create a working air flow that enters the floor inlet nozzle, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly,to a bagless dust cup assembly to be used with a vacuum cleanerapparatus in lieu of a disposable dirt collection bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Floor cleaning devices, such as vacuums, have been produced in the priorart. These prior art devices are typically provided in canister,upright, hand-held and other portable configurations, and may be poweredby an electrical cord or by batteries. In many cases, the device isprovided with a bagless dustcup assembly that utilizes a cyclonicseparation action and/or one or more filters to facilitate separation ofthe vacuumed debris and air. These bagless dustcup assemblies generallyinclude, for example, a separation chamber having a dirty air inlet, adirt separation system including a cyclone and/or a filter, and at leastone outlet for removing cleaned air. In some cases the outlet maycomprise a conduit passing through the chamber itself. Various systemsfor emptying dirt from the separation chamber are known in the art, suchas an openable lower door, a dustbin located at the bottom of theseparation chamber, or a removable lid that covers and may form part ofthe separation chamber.

Known bagless dustcup assemblies are often formed of a single integratedpiece of plastic comprising a cup-like arrangement of walls. In somecases, a fluid conduit may be formed as part of this cup. An example ofsuch a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,826, in which an outletconduit is shown as being integrally molded with a cyclone chamberdustcup. While the outlet is often through the bottom of the cup, it mayalternatively exit through the lid. For example, one such device isshown in European Patent Application EP 0 728 435, in which a clean airoutlet is shown molded with the cyclone chamber lid. Other conduits maybe integrally formed to the outside of dirt-receiving portion of thebagless dustcup, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,745, which shows anintegrally-molded outlet conduit, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,641, whichshows an integrally-molded inlet conduit. All of the foregoing patentsare incorporated herein by reference.

The prior art also discloses devices in which an outlet conduit isformed separately from the cyclone chamber, and attached thereto. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,125 shows an outlet conduit that appears tobe welded or otherwise bonded to a cyclone chamber. U.S. Pat. No.6,902,596 also discloses that an outlet conduit may be welded orremovably attached to a cyclone chamber by mechanical locking means, butdoes not illustrate or describe how these locking means would operate.U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,230, discloses a outlet and bottom wall that areintegrally formed with one another, and attached to the side wall of thecup by threaded engagement. While such threaded engagement may be usefulto initially attach the two parts, it is likely that manufacturingtolerances and friction between the parts will make repeated disassemblyand reassembly of the parts difficult. Furthermore, the presence of fineparticles may rapidly deteriorate the integrity of the threads, as wellas add to the difficulty in separating and joining the parts. Theforegoing patents are incorporated herein by reference.

While the known cyclone chamber designs can be useful for providing dirtseparation for vacuum cleaners and the like, the present inventors havediscovered new and useful alternative cyclone chamber constructiontechniques to supplement and advance the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, in a first aspect, an upright vacuumcleaner having a housing with a handle at an upper end and a base at thebottom end. The base is pivotally attached to the housing and has afloor inlet nozzle facing generally downwardly from it. A dustcupassembly is associated with at least one of the housing and the base,and includes a sidewall defining an interior space having an open topend and a bottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottom end andhaving a dustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lidadapted to selectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduit formedseparately from the bottom wall and attached to the bottom wall at thedustcup outlet. The fluid conduit extends into the interior spacedefined by the sidewall. The vacuum cleaner also has a vacuum sourceassociated with at least one of the housing and the base. The vacuumsource is adapted to create a working air flow that enters the floorinlet nozzle, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcupinlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum cleaner witha housing, one or more air inlet nozzles associated with the housing,and a dustcup assembly associated with the housing. The dustcup assemblyhas a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and abottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having adustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lid adapted toselectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduit formed separatelyfrom the bottom wall and releasably attached to the bottom wall at thedustcup outlet, the fluid conduit extending into the interior spacedefined by the sidewall. The vacuum cleaner also has a vacuum sourceassociated with the housing, which is adapted to create a working airflow that enters the one or more inlet nozzles, passes into the dustcupassembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assemblythrough the dustcup outlet.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum cleanerhaving a housing, one or more air inlet nozzles associated with thehousing, and a dustcup assembly associated with the housing. The dustcupassembly includes a sidewall defining an interior space having an opentop end and a bottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottom endand having a dustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lidadapted to selectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduit attachedto the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, the fluid conduit extendinginto the interior space defined by the sidewall. The fluid conduit andat least a portion of the bottom wall form a combined conduit/bottomwall part that is formed separately from the sidewall and attachedthereto. The vacuum cleaner also includes a vacuum source associatedwith the housing. The vacuum source being adapted to create a workingair flow that enters the one or more inlet nozzles, passes into thedustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcupassembly through the dustcup outlet.

In various embodiments of the foregoing aspects of the invention, thefluid conduit or combined conduit/bottom wall part may be attached byscrews, a rotating cam lock arrangement, one or more flexible latchingtabs, snap-fit engagement, an interference fit, bayonet fittings, or afastening ring. The conduit/bottom wall part may also be attached by afastener that does not include threads formed on the conduit/bottom wallpart itself. A gasket may be interposed between the fluid conduit andthe bottom wall or between the conduit/bottom wall part and thesidewall. The fluid conduit may have an airfoil cross-section, one ormore integrally formed contours to assist with dust separation, or oneor more integrally formed airflow deflectors. The fluid conduit may alsocomprise a first section having a first geometric profile, and a secondsection having a second geometric profile that is different from thefirst geometric profile. The bottom wall may have an additional dustcupoutlet with an additional fluid conduit attached to this outlet andextending into the interior space defined by the sidewall. The dustcupassembly may be releasably attached to the housing, with the dustcup lidformed by the housing or as a separate part that is removable with thedustcup assembly from the housing. Also, the dustcup inlet may passthrough the lid or the sidewall. Finally, the fluid conduit or combinedconduit/bottom wall part may or may not be releasably attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prior art upright vacuum cleaner suitable for use with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary prior art dustcup assembly.

FIG. 3A is a partially exploded view of a first embodiment of a dustcupassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is an assembled view the embodiment of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a partially exploded view of a second embodiment of a dustcupassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 4B is an assembled view the embodiment of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is an exploded view of a third embodiment of a dustcup assemblyof the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a fragmented and exploded view of the attachment arrangementof the embodiment of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a fragmented, partially cut away, exploded view of a fourthembodiment of a dustcup assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is an assembled view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is an exploded view of a fifth embodiment of a dustcup assemblyof the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a fragmented, cross-sectional detail view of the embodimentof FIG. 7A, showing the portion encompassed by circle A thereof.

FIG. 8A is a partially exploded view of a sixth embodiment of a dustcupassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 8B is another partially exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is a schematic representation of a variation of the lockingmechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9B is a schematic representation of another variation of thelocking mechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 10A is an exploded view of a seventh embodiment of a dustcupassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 10B is a fragmented, cross-sectional detail view of the embodimentof FIG. 10A, showing the portion encompassed by circle A thereof.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of an eighth embodiment of a dustcupassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an alternative embodiment of an outlet tube that may be usedwith the present invention.

FIG. 13A is a ninth embodiment of a dustcup assembly of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13B illustrates the installation of the embodiment of FIG. 13A inan exemplary vacuum cleaner housing.

FIG. 14A depicts an embodiment of an outlet conduit with a rectangularcross-section.

FIG. 14B depicts an embodiment of an outlet conduit with a squarecross-section.

FIG. 14C depicts an embodiment of an outlet conduit with a triangularcross-section.

FIG. 14D depicts an embodiment of a multi-part outlet conduit withrectangular cross-sections.

FIG. 14E depicts an embodiment of a multi-part outlet conduit withsquare cross-sections.

FIG. 14F depicts an embodiment of a multi-part outlet conduit withcircular and triangular cross-sections.

FIG. 14G depicts an embodiment of an outlet conduit with an airfoilcross-sections.

FIG. 15A is side view of another embodiment of a dustcup assembly of thepresent invention.

FIG. 15B is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A, shown along lineI-I thereof.

FIG. 15C is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A, shown withthe lid and filter removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides an improved cyclonic separation chamberfor cleaning devices. Embodiments of the present invention may be usedwith any type of vacuum cleaning device, including, but not limited to,upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, wet extractors,hand-held vacuum cleaners, so-called “stick” vacuum cleaners, and so on.The implementation of the present inventions with such devices will bewithin the understanding and skill of persons of ordinary skill in theart after review of the present disclosure and with routineexperimentation with the present invention.

An example of a conventional upright vacuum cleaner to which the presentinvention may be applied is shown in FIG. 1. The upright vacuum cleaner100 generally includes a floor engaging base 102, an upright rearhousing 104, and a handle 106. The base 102 typically includes alaterally extending, downwardly-facing inlet nozzle 108 that ispositioned to lift dirt and debris from the floor. A known rotatingbrush element (not shown) may be located in the nozzle 108 to agitatethe surface being cleaned and help with the cleaning operation. The rearhousing 104 is pivotally attached to the base 102, and the handle 106 isattached to the rear housing 104. A conventional vacuum source (notshown) is located in the base 102 or rear housing 104, and is operatedto generate a working air flow that is used to clean surfaces. Theworking air flow applies suction to the inlet nozzle 108, causing dirtand debris to be entrained in the working air flow. The working air flowthen passes through a dirt cup assembly 110, which is typically mountedon the rear housing 104, but may instead be on the base 102, to removeall or part of the entrained dirt and debris. The dirt cup assembly 110is typically located upstream of the vacuum source so that it operatesunder negative pressure, but may alternatively be downstream of thevacuum source so that it operates under positive pressure. A hose 110may also be provided to access and clean surfaces that are above thefloor or difficult to reach with the nozzle. Various pre- and post-motorfilters may also be added to the device to further filter the incomingand exiting working air. Additional features of upright vacuum cleanersare known in the art, and shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,829,804, which is incorporated herein by reference. Any such features,or other features known in the art or generally understood to be usefulfor cleaning floors and other surfaces, may be included in embodimentsof the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a typical prior art cyclone assembly 200 isshown. The assembly 200 comprises a sidewall 202, a bottom wall 204, anda lid 206 that form a generally air-tight chamber with the exception ofan air inlet 208 and an air outlet 210. All or part of the assembly 200may be transparent so that a user can view its operation and determinewhen it needs to be emptied, but the lid 206 is typically opaque. Inuse, dirt laden air enters the assembly 200 through the inlet 208, andtravels in a cyclonic path to thereby separate dirt from the air in aknown manner. Various means may be used to generate cyclonic airflow. Inthe shown device, the cyclonic airflow is generated by introducing theair in a tangential direction, as shown by arrow A. In other devices,such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,804, the air may beintroduced along a helical ramp in the lid to impart the desiredcyclonic motion. In still other devices the air may be introducedperpendicular to the chamber, but diverted by a surface to travel in atangential direction, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,341,404 and6,436,160, which are incorporated herein by reference. The presentinvention is applicable to these and any other cyclone generationconfigurations.

In the cyclone assembly of FIG. 2, the outlet 210 comprises a tube thatextends through a portion of the assembly 200 and along its centralaxis, and exits through the bottom wall 204. In alternative embodiments,the outlet may extend through an upper wall or the lid 206, such asshown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,453, which is incorporated herein byreference. A filter (not shown), such as the one shown in U.S. Pat. No.6,829,804, may be placed over or in the outlet 120 to further filter theair, as is known in the art. Various filters and filtration devices areknown in the art, such as paper or sheet filters, mesh screens,perforated shrouds, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, ULPA(ultra low penetration air) filters, and so on, which may be reusableand may have any shape, such as a porous foam block or a pleated airpermeable filter. Any such filters may be used with the presentinvention, or the filter may be omitted as will be appreciated by thoseof ordinary skill in the art.

Prior art cyclone assemblies are operatively associated with vacuumcleaners in a variety of ways. For example, all or part of the cycloneassembly 200 may be formed as part of the vacuum cleaner's base 102 orrear housing 104 (or canister, in the case of canister-style vacuumcleaners), and intended to remain attached thereto during operation andemptying. However, in many instances the cyclone assembly 200, orportions thereof, is selectively removable from the rest of the vacuumcleaner. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the cyclone assembly 110 ofthe device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,804, includes a sidewall 112 andbottom wall 114 that form a dirt cup upon which a removable lid 116 ispositioned. The outlet 120 is in the form of a tube that is moldeddirectly into the bottom wall 114, and a filter 122 removably secured tothe top of the outlet 120. In addition to forming a cyclonic separationchamber, the sidewall 112, bottom wall 114, and outlet tube 120 form acup-like structure that holds dirt captured by the device. When it isdesired to empty the cup, the cup and lid are removed from the rearhousing 104 as a unit, then the lid 116 is removed and the dirt cupinverted to empty its contents. One or more handles (not shown) may beprovided to assist with handling the cyclone chamber, dirt cup, or lid.

In other devices, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,579,334 and 6,910,245,which are incorporated herein by reference, the cyclone assembly lid isformed as part of the rear housing, and only the cup portion of thecyclone assembly—that is, the portion formed by the sidewall and thebottom wall—is removable to empty it. In addition, while the foregoingembodiments describe the cup being removed from the lid to be emptied,the cyclone chamber may alternatively be emptied by opening or removingthe lower wall, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,593, which isincorporated herein by reference. In still other embodiments, thecyclone assembly may deposit dirt and debris into a separate chamber byinertia, as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,641, or by the operation of a manualor automatic trapdoor, as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,064. These patents areincorporated herein by reference. The present invention may be used withany suitable configuration for attaching the cyclone assembly to thevacuum cleaner.

As noted before, the prior art contemplates forming the outlet 210integrally with the bottom wall 204 and sidewall 202. The presentinventors have found that using this one-piece construction can limitthe manufacturer's ability to economically produce desirable inlet andoutlet conduit configurations. The prior art also contemplates weldingan outlet conduit to a dirt cup, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.2,684,125. However this prevents removal of the outlet conduit, and mayalso require expensive manufacturing equipment and increasedmanufacturing time. The prior art also contemplates forming these partsseparately, and joining them, but does so using threads formed on theparts being joined. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,230, which isincorporated herein by reference, discloses a outlet and bottom wallthat appear to be integrally formed with one another, and attached tothe sidewall by threaded engagement. The threads are located at theouter perimeter of the bottom wall, where it meets the lower edge of thecylindrical sidewall. This construction is believed to suffer fromvarious disadvantages, such as thread degradation caused by theintrusion of dirt particles into the threads, and assembly difficultiescaused by dirt accumulation, friction, misalignment and threadstripping. This configuration also appears to require relatively highmanufacturing tolerances to ensure that the parts are close enough inshape to properly thread together, and requires both parts to includethreaded portions, which increases the thickness at those locations,thus also increasing the weight and cost of the materials and theirmanufacture. In view of these expected shortcomings, it is preferred, inat least some embodiments of the invention, to avoid the use of suchthreads formed on the parts that form the dustcup assembly itself.

The present invention provides alternative dustcup assemblies thatprovide various advantages over the prior art, and may ameliorate orlessen the known and expected shortcomings of the prior art. It will beunderstood that it is not required for each embodiment of the claimedinvention to address all, or even any, of the listed shortcomings of theprior art.

A first exemplary embodiment of a dustcup assembly 300 of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In this embodiment, the dustcupassembly 300 comprises a generally cylindrical sidewall 302 (althoughother shapes may be used), a bottom wall 304, and an open top 303 towhich a lid (not shown) may be fastened in any conventional manner. Forexample in this embodiment, the lid is fastened using bayonet fasteners,and one receiving slot 305 for the lid's bayonet fastener tabs isvisible at the upper end of the sidewall 302. It will also beappreciated that the lid may be omitted, and the dustcup assembly 300fastened directly to the vacuum cleaner housing to close and seal thedustcup assembly 300, such as in the device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,245.The dustcup assembly 300 also includes an inlet (not shown) to generatethe desired cyclonic air movement. The inlet may enter the dustcupassembly 300 through the sidewall 302 (as, for example, in theembodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B), through the lid, or in any other manner.The foregoing variations regarding the dustcup shape, lid attachment andinlet style, and any other typical variations to these or otherfeatures, may be made to this or any other embodiment of the inventionsdescribed herein, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art, and further reference to such variations is omitted in thefollowing discussion for the sake of brevity.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B includes a fluid conduit 310, which inthis case is an outlet tube, that is removably installed in a holethrough the center of the bottom wall 304. When installed, the outlettube 310 extends generally along the cylindrical axis 301 of the dustcupassembly 300. It is preferred that the outlet tube 310 extend asubstantial distance, preferably along at least about 50% of the lengthof the sidewall 302, however this length are not strictly required forthe invention. One or more screws 312 or other fasteners, such asquarter-turn fasteners, snaps, and the like, may be used to attach thetwo parts. To this end, the bottom wall 304 is provided with a recess314 into which a corresponding flange 316 on the outer perimeter of thebottom end of the outlet tube 310 fits. An o-ring seal 326, or othertype of sealing member (such a foam gasket) is preferably provided tofit between the recess 314 and the flange 316 to prevent air frompassing through this location. A supplemental adhesive and or sealantmay also be provided between the parts, if desired. In some instances,however, it might be desirable to omit this seal 326, and even provide asmall bleed air passage to ensure that air can pass to the vacuum sourceif the dustcup assembly 300 becomes blocked, and thereby preventoverheating. A second seal (not shown) may also be provided on thebottom side of the flange 316 to mate with a lip or other surfacesurrounding the inlet to the vacuum source. The flange may also serve asa mounting location for a filter installed in or at the bottom of theoutlet tube 310. As noted before, a filter may also be located at thetop of the outlet tube 310, if desired.

The recess 314 and flange 316 are preferably, but not necessarily,shaped so that the flange 316 can not rotate relative to the recess 314when it is installed therein. While any non-circular shape will suffice,relative rotation is prevented in the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B byproviding several protrusions 318 on the flange 316 that fit intocorresponding openings 320 in the recess 314. These protrusions 318 andopenings 320 also serve as screw mounting locations, and each protrusion318 has a screw passage 322, and each opening 320 has a screw mountingboss 324. The mounting bosses 324 have internal threads to receive thescrews 312 and hold the outlet tube 310 in place. The mounting bosses324 may be provided with inserts (not shown), such as metal nuts thatare captured or molded in place, to assist with engaging and retainingthe screws 312. Conveniently, when the flange 316 is fully seated in therecess 314, the screw openings 322 and mounting bosses 324 are alignedrelative to one another by the engagement of the protrusions 318 in theopenings 320, and no further manipulation of the parts is necessary toprepare them for the installation of the screws 312, which potentiallysaves manufacturing time and allows relatively simple automatedassembly. As shown in FIG. 3B, the flange 316 is preferably flush withthe bottom wall 304 when it is fully installed to minimize the overallheight of the dustcup assembly 300. To remove the outlet tube 310, thescrews 130 are simply backed out of the mounting bosses.

Various modifications to this design are possible. For example, thescrews could pass through the lower wall 304 and be installed into theflange 316. The screws may also be omitted, and the flange 316 andrecess 314 may be adapted to have snap-fitting tabs and detents to allowthe outlet tube 310 to simply be pressed into place. The flange 316 andrecess 314 may also be slightly tapered or provided with interferingdimensions to allow them to be press-fit together. Furthermore, whilereleasable attachment is preferred, the outlet tube 310 may bepermanently attached, such as by ultrasonic welding, spin welding,adhesives, and so on.

In addition, while the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrates thebottom wall 304 being integrally formed with the sidewall 302, and therecess 314 being formed in the bottom wall 304, it will be appreciatedthat all or a portion of the bottom wall 304 may instead be formed aspart of the flange 316 and outlet tube 310 (or the flange may simplyform the bottom wall), and this combined outlet tube /bottom wall partcould then be attached to the lower periphery of the sidewalls 302 or tothe remaining portion of the bottom wall 304. Other variations will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the presentspecification and with routine practice of the inventions describedherein.

A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.4A and 4B as dustcup assembly 400. In this embodiment, the dustcupassembly once again comprises a sidewall 402, bottom wall 404, and opentop 403 that is covered by a removable lid (not shown), which may be aseparate part, or simply part of the housing to which the dustcupassembly 400 is ultimately attached. The dustcup assembly 400 includesan air inlet 408 (FIG. 4B) through the sidewall 402, and an air outlettube 410 through the bottom wall 404. The outlet tube 410 and bottomwall 404 are preferably formed together as a single part, such as byplastic molding, and attached to the lower peripheral edge of thesidewall 402.

The bottom wall 404 is preferably attached by an arrangement including alatch 412 on one side of the sidewall 402, and a tab 414 on the oppositeside of the sidewall 402. The tab 414 fits into a corresponding slot oropening 416 on a raised portion 418 of the bottom wall 404. This raisedportion 418 preferably surrounds or abuts the lower edge of the sidewall402 and includes a seal to form an airtight seal between the two partswhen they are assembled. In the shown embodiment, the tab 414 is locatedin a recess 420 to help minimize the radial dimension of the assembly.

The latch 412 comprises a pivoting member including a hook 422 at itslower end, a button 424 at its upper end, and a pivot 426 or otherfulcrum between the hook 422 and the button 424. The latch 412 isoriented on the sidewall 402 with the hook 422 located to engage acorresponding portion of the bottom wall 404. The combined engagement ofthe latch 412 on one side and the tab 414 and opening 416 on the otherside of the bottom wall 404 prevent it (and the attached outlet tube410) from being separated from the dustcup assembly 400. The pivot 426is attached to the sidewall 402 so that the button 424 can be pressedradially inwardly, which moves the hook 422 radially outward, and out ofengagement with the bottom wall 404, thereby allowing disassembly. Aspring (not shown), is preferably captured between the button 424 andthe sidewall 402 to resiliently bias the button 424 outward, andtherefore the hook 422 inward, and in the locked position.

Like the tab 414, the latch 412 is preferably located in a recess 428 tohelp minimize the radial dimension of the dustcup assembly 400.Furthermore, the latch 412 preferably is positioned so that it isinaccessible when the dustcup assembly 400 is installed to the vacuumcleaner for use, such as by being located on the back side of theassembly along with the air inlet 408. As such, the latch isinaccessible in order to prevent accidental openings, and can only beactivated when the dustcup assembly 400 is removed from the vacuumcleaner. In addition, while the latch 412 and tab 414 are illustrated asbeing on the sidewall 402, with the corresponding mating structures onthe bottom wall 404, these positions can be reversed for the latch 412,tab 414, or both.

While it would be possible in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B to emptythe dustcup assembly 400 by removing the lid and inverting the assembly,it may also be emptied by simply removing the bottom wall 404 and outlettube 410. As such, in variations of this embodiment, the open top 403may be covered by a lid (not shown) that is permanently affixed to thesidewall 402 (such as by being integrally formed therewith), or a lidthat is not intended to be removed during normal use (such as by beingscrewed in place). In such an embodiment, the dustcup assembly 400 maybe emptied by removing it from the vacuum cleaner, inverting it,removing the bottom wall 402 and outlet tube 410 (which, by virtue ofthe inversion of the assembly are now above the lid end), and theninverting the assembly once again to empty its contents. Reassemblywould follow the opposite procedure. This procedure may prove to beadvantageous, as the movement of the outlet conduit 410 relative to thesidewall 402 may help to dislodge dirt that becomes packed down in thedustcup assembly 400, and the outlet conduit 410 or a filter (not shown)located at the top end of the outlet conduit 410 may act as a piston topull the dirt and debris out of the dustcup assembly 400 withoutrequiring the user to otherwise mechanically agitate the assembly todislodge the dirt.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, a third embodiment of the presentinvention provides a dustcup assembly 500 comprising a combined lowerwall 504 and fluid conduit 510 that is connected to the sidewall 502 byflexible latching tabs 512. The flexible tabs 512 extend, in acantilevered fashion, from an annular wall 514 that protrudes upwardlyfrom the bottom wall 504. Each tab 512 comprises a vertical wall 516having an opening 518 therein, and a finger tab 520 that protrudes awayfrom the dustcup assembly 500 to allow a user easily manipulate the tab512. Each opening 518 is positioned to overlie and engage acorresponding catch 522 formed on the outer surface of the sidewall 502.The catches 522 preferably include a ramped lower surface, and a flatupper surface. The ramped lower surfaces help press the flexible tabs512 outward to allow the bottom wall/outlet tube assembly to beinstalled without manipulating the flexible tabs 512. Once in place, theopenings 518 surround the catches 522, and the flat upper surfacesprevent disassembly until the user presses on one or both of the fingertabs 520 to release the openings 518 from the catches 522. While thelatching tabs 512 are shown as having openings 518 that fit over catches522 on the sidewall 502, the catches may instead be positioned on thetabs and adapted to fit into corresponding openings (or detents) on thesidewall. For simplicity, the term flexible latching tab will beunderstood to encompass any variation of a flexible tab that hold partstogether by engagement between a catch and a detent or opening (or twocatches), regardless of which part has the catch, and which has theopening or detent.

In use, it is likely that the operator will only have to operate asingle one of the flexible latching tabs 512, and therefore the otherflexible tab 512 may optionally be replaced by an inflexible tab, suchas the one shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B. Of course, manyvariations are possible, and additional tabs may be used, or the 512 maybe located on the sidewall 502 and the catches 522 located on the bottomwall 504.

The upper end of the dustcup assembly 500 comprises an open end 503 thatis covered with a removable lid (not shown). The dustcup assembly 500 isemptied by removing it from the vacuum cleaner, and inverting it to dropout the contents. This is done without disassembling the bottom wall 504and outlet tube 510 from the sidewall 502. However, as with theembodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the latching arrangement for the bottomwall 514 and outlet tube 510 allows relatively quick and simpledisassembly, and therefore this may alternatively be used as the primaryemptying means. In such a case, the upper end may be closed or aprovided with a permanent or semi-permanent lid, and the emptyingprocedure described above with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B could be usedto empty it.

In the embodiments described thus far herein, the outlet tube isattached to the dustcup assembly by inserting it from below thesidewalls. However, the opposite assembly is also possible with thepresent invention. An embodiment of such a construction is illustratedin FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this embodiment, the dustcup assembly 600comprises a sidewall 602, a bottom wall 604, and outlet tube 610. Thebottom wall 604 and outlet tube 610 are formed as a single part that isassembled with the sidewall 602 by advancing it downward through thesidewall until it snaps into place or is otherwise attached.

The embodiment of FIGS. 6A and 6B is held together in a similar manneras the embodiment of FIGS. 5A and 5B—namely, by the use of flexible tabs612. The flexible latching tabs 612 extend downwardly from the bottomwall 604, and each tab 612 includes a catch 614 that protrudes radiallyoutward. When the bottom wall 604/outlet tube 610 part is fully seated,the catches 614 engage a corresponding structure on the sidewall 602 tohold the parts together. While four tabs 612 are preferred (the fourthbeing omitted from the figures by virtue of them being cutaway viewstaken along the centerline of the device), more or fewer tabs 612 may beused.

While the structure with which the catches 614 engage may simplycomprise the lower edge of the sidewall 602 or an inwardly-extending lipon the sidewall 602, it is preferred to provide the sidewall 602 with aradially inwardly-extending flange 616 with a downwardly-extendingannular wall 618. The catches 614 engage the annular wall as shown inFIG. 6B. The use of this inwardly-extending flange 616 allows theradially outermost portion of the bottom wall 604′ to overlie the flange616 and create a serpentine passage to prevent dirt from escapingthrough the bottom of the dustcup assembly 600, and prevent air fromentering the dustcup assembly 600 through this juncture duringoperation. A gasket or other seal (not shown) may be provided betweenthe parts to assist with sealing any air gap. Similarly, the bottom wallis provided with an annular recess 622 into which a gasket 624 is fittedto seal against a corresponding annular wall on the vacuum cleanerhousing (not shown) to which the dustcup assembly is attached.Alternatively (or in addition), a seal (not shown) may be provided inthe annular space 626 between the annular wall 618 and the sidewall 602,which, when engaged by a corresponding portion of the vacuum cleanerhousing, could effectively seal the entire bottom of the dustcupassembly 600 against air leaking into the assembly during operation ofthe vacuum source.

The manufacture of the bottom wall 604, the flexible tabs 612 and thecatches 614 may be facilitated by creating the bottom wall 604 withsmall openings 620 over each catch 614, which allows injection moldingthe part with only two mold portions. The bottom wall 604 may alsoinclude an annular wall that lies adjacent to annular wall 618, althoughthis is not shown in the Figures. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 5A and5B, the flexible tabs 612 are shaped and sized to allow them to beflexed inwardly, as shown by the arrows A, far enough to allow thecatches 614 to bypass the annular wall 618 as the part is installed, butfirmly snap back approximately into their unflexed position to hold theparts together. The precise considerations of length, with and materialthickness will depend on the material selected for the part, as will beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. The annular wall 618may also include ramps or slightly tapered surfaces (not shown) alongwhich the catches 614 may ride as they are being installed to graduallyflex them inwardly, which should decrease the amount of effort requiredto attach the parts. Such ramps may be particularly useful if it isdesired to make the flexible tabs 612 resilient enough to attach theparts together, but difficult to flex them back by hand to disassemblethe parts, thereby providing a somewhat more permanent assembly. If itis desired to orient the outlet tube 610 and bottom wall 604 in aparticular angular orientation relative to sidewall 602, the parts maybe provided with one or more keys and slots that engage with one anotherto prevent assembly in any but the desired position, as will beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the presentdisclosure.

A fifth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. In thisembodiment, the dustcup assembly 700 comprises a sidewall 702 having aplurality of openings 712 arranged in an annular pattern around thebottom end of the sidewall 702. The bottom wall 704 and outlet tube 610are again constructed as a single part, although, as with otherembodiments, they may be separately formed and connected together. Thebottom wall 704 includes an annular sidewall 714 that is constructedsuch that its exterior surface fits within the interior surface of thedustcup sidewall 702. A plurality of tabs 716 extend radially outwardfrom the sidewall 714. Each opening 712 is adapted to receive acorresponding tab 716, as illustrated in FIG. 7B in order to secure thebottom wall 704 and outlet tube 710 the sidewall 702 to form the dustcupassembly 700. Of course, the openings 712 may be replaced byindentations on the inner surface of the sidewall 702 that do not passall the way through the sidewall 702.

In this embodiment, one or both of the dustcup sidewall 702 and thebottom wall sidewall 714 must flex in a manner to allow the parts to bepushed together for assembly. To this end, one or both parts may be madeof a somewhat flexible material, or may be provided with slots betweenthe openings 712 and/or tabs 716 (not shown) that increase the localflexibility of the material in the region proximate to the openings 712and/or tabs 716. The tabs 716 may also be beveled to ease their entryinto the sidewall 702, and the sidewall 702 may be provided with achamfered interior edge or ramps for the same purpose. A seal (notshown) may also be provided between the parts to assist with forming anair- and dirt-tight connection. As with the foregoing embodiment, itwill be appreciated that the number and size of the tabs 716 andopenings 712 can be varied according to the manufacturer's desires.Generally, the use of more tabs 716 and openings 712 provides a morepositive lock between the parts, but may require greater manufacturingtolerances or steps to produce the parts. A greater number of tabs 716and openings 712 also increases the difficulty of disassembling theparts, making it a one-shot snap-fit, which may be preferred if it notdesired for the end-user to be able to perform such disassembly. Forexample, one instance in which disassembly may not be desired is whenthe parts are provided with an airtight seal by an adhesive tape orepoxy that could be damaged or destroyed by disassembly.

FIGS. 8A to 8C show a sixth embodiment of a dustcup assembly 800 of thepresent invention, in which rotating cam locks are used to hold theparts together. This embodiment comprises a sidewall 802 and bottom wall804 that are integrally molded as a single part, and an outlet conduit810 that is attached to the bottom wall 804 by a cam lock mechanism.Like the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the dustcup assembly 800includes an inlet 808 through the sidewall 802, and an open top 803 thatis covered by a lid (not shown), but variations of these features arewithin the scope of the invention, as explained previously herein. Oneor more ribs 811 are provided on the sidewall 802 to fit intocorresponding slots (not shown) on the vacuum cleaner housing to helporient the dustcup assembly 800 for proper installation.

The bottom of the outlet tube 810 includes three cam followers 812 (twoof which are visible in FIG. 8A) that extend radially from the outlettube wall. The outlet tube 810 also has an outwardly-extending flange814 at its end. There is a small gap between each cam follower 812 andthe flange 814. Each cam follower 812 includes a small tab 820 thatextends downward into this gap. A seal (not shown) may be positionedbetween the cam followers 812 and the flange 814 to seal the dustcupassembly 800 when the outlet tube 810 is installed.

As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the bottom wall 804 has a central opening816 into which the outlet tube 810 fits. The central opening 816 hasthree notches 818 that are arranged in the same pattern as the camfollowers 812 so that the cam followers 812 can be received therein. Asshown most clearly in FIG. 8C, each notch is located circumferentiallyadjacent a portion of the upper surface of the bottom wall 804 thatincludes an upwardly-extending catch 822, and a cam stop 824. (Theoutlet tube 810 is shown inserted into the central opening in FIG. 8C,but not yet rotated into place.) To secure the outlet tube 810 to thedustcup assembly 800, the tube 810 is inserted into central opening 816along the longitudinal axis 801 of the dustcup assembly until the camfollowers 812 pass through the notches 818, and the flange 814 is seatedagainst the bottom wall 804. If a seal is provided, some compression ofthe seal may be necessary to reach this point, but this is not required.The outlet tube 810 is then rotated relative to the sidewall 802 andbottom wall 804, preferably by about ⅛^(th) of one turn (45 degrees). Asthis happens, the cam followers 812 and the downwardly-extending tabs820 are pushed against and over the upwardly-extending catches 822,after which, the sides of the cam followers 812 abut the cam stops 824.The contact between the tabs 820 and the catches 822 creates a physicalobstruction to hold the outlet tube 810 in place. The cam stops 824prevent over-rotation of the outlet tube 810, and thereby ensures properinstallation. Removal is done by simply reversing the rotation of theoutlet tube 810 and overcoming the retaining force generated by contactbetween the tabs 820 and the catches 822. Providing relatively gentileramps on the tabs 820 and catches 822 will reduce the force necessary toassemble and disassemble the parts. If it is desired to provide a morepermanent installation, the tabs 820 and catches 822 may be made withsquare back sides that lock together once the parts are rotated intoplace. A schematic of this variation is shown in FIG. 9A.

In a variation of this embodiment, shown in FIG. 9B, the portion of thebottom wall 804 between the notches 818 and the catches 822 is made witha gradually thickening profile 902 that is ultimately nearly equal orgreater in thickness than the size of the gap between the cam followers812 and the flange 820 (or the seal, if one is provided) on the outlettube 810. In this variation, the catches 822 are replaced with detents904 into which the tabs 820 fit when the outlet tube 810 is rotated tothe desired installation position. It will be understood, of course,that all of these variations essentially use a rotating cam lockarrangement having a tab on one part, and a catch, ramp or notch (or acombination thereof) on the other part.

Other variations of rotating cam locking devices may be used with thepresent invention. In addition, as with other embodiments describedherein, the outlet tube may actually be formed integrally with thebottom wall, and these parts may be cam locked to the sidewall. Thebottom wall may also be formed in two parts, one of which is attached tothe sidewall, and the other of which is attached to the outlet tube, andwhich are attached together by cam locks to form the dustcup assembly.Other variations of the cam locking devices and their location and useto form a dustcup assembly will be appreciated by those of ordinaryskill in the art in view of the present disclosure, and with routingexperimentation with the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A and 10B, a seventh embodiment of a dustcupassembly 1000 of the present invention comprises a combined outlet tube1010 and bottom wall 1004 that is attached to a sidewall 1002 by afastening ring 1012. The fastening ring 1012 includes a lower radialwall 1014, an upper radial wall 1016, and an annular wall 1018 thatconnects the upper and lower radial walls. The upper radial wall 1016includes a number of notches 1020 extending therethrough. The sidewall1002 includes a number of radially-extending catches 1022, which arespaced and sized to fit into the notches 1020.

The dustcup assembly 1000 is assembled by positioning the bottom wall1004 to abut the lower edge of the sidewall 1002, and installing thefastening ring 1012 over the bottom wall 1004. The catches 1022 passthrough the notches 1020 in the upper radial wall 1016, and thefastening ring 1012 is rotated until he catches are located under theupper radial wall 1016. In this position, the bottom wall 1004 iscaptured in place between the fastening ring 1012 and the sidewall 1002,and secured by the catches 1022. One or both of the catches 1022 and thelower surface of the upper radial wall 1016 may include detents, camsurfaces, or other devices to provide a compression force or a lockingengagement to hold the parts together, as described above with referenceto FIGS. 8A to 9B, or as otherwise known in the art. For example, in oneembodiment, the foregoing arrangement may comprise bayonet fittings. Theforegoing arrangement may alternatively comprise threads, rather thancatches 1022, which is made more practical in this embodiment than inthe known art by locating the threads where they do not risk substantialcontact with dirt and debris from the dustcup assembly 1000. One or moreseals (not shown) may be provided between one or more of the sidewall1002, bottom wall 1004 and fastening ring 1012.

The foregoing embodiments and variations thereof provide severalperformance advantages in dustcup assemblies. For example, the use ofsuch heterogeneous parts can provide weight savings, improvedcleanability, additional options for emptying the dustcup assembly,improved aesthetics, and so on. This construction also allows thedustcup assembly to include specialty materials without unduly raisingthe cost of the device. For example the outlet conduit may be producedwith an anti-microbial additive, such as MICROBAN (available fromMicroban International, Ltd. of New York, N.Y.), to assist with keepingthe dustcup assembly microbe free, but the sidewall may not be treatedto reduce expense.

In addition, the present invention can provide a number of manufacturingand engineering benefits. For example, in many instances, the parts canbe manufactured as two simple assemblies using two-part injection molds.This two-part construction allows the parts to be made from differentmaterials, with different thicknesses, or with different colors orgraphics. Other manufacturing advantages may include quicker moldingtime, reduced tooling cost, reduced molding scrap, eliminating the needfor providing a mold-griping surface on the parts, and so on. Thetwo-part construction of the present invention also allows, if desired,the parts to be disassembled for more economical shipping, as removal ofthe outlet tube from the center of the dustcup assembly can allowadditional parts of the device to be shipped within the dustcup assemblyitself. Still another benefit of using a separate part for the outlettube is that the outlet tube can be replaced with different shaped tubes(e.g., longer, shorter, wider, or narrower) to facilitate the use ofdifferent filter sizes and to make different end products, withoutrequiring an entirely new dustcup assembly mold to be produced. This hasone particular advantage of improving product development lead times.

In addition, while the embodiments described herein describe the outlettube as being an air passage for air to exit the dustcup assembly, thepresent teachings are also applicable to air inlet passages that areattached to or pass through the dustcup assembly, and are alsoapplicable to dustcup assembly inserts that do not actually carry anairflow therethrough.

Still other benefits of the two-piece construction of present inventionare described below with respect of various additional embodiments,which may be used with any of the foregoing embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the use of a separate outlet tube according tothe present invention allows practical formation of airflow-enhancingshapes on the dustcup assembly sidewall and outlet tube. In thisembodiment, the dustcup assembly 1100 comprise a sidewall 1102 and acombined bottom wall 1104 and outlet tube 1104. The bottom wall 1104attaches to the sidewall, as in any of the foregoing embodiments orvariations thereof, at or near the outer edge of the sidewall 1102. Thisallows airflow-enhancing contours 1112 to be molded into the innersurface of the sidewall 1102 using a conventional injection moldingtechniques, and may even be performed using simple two-part molds. Thisconstruction similarly allows airflow-enhancing contours 1114 to bemolded on the outlet tube 1110. As with the contours 1112 on thesidewall 1102, these contours 1114 can be molded much more readily thanif the outlet tube 1110 were molded with the remainder of the dustcupassembly 1100. Either set of contours 1112, 1114 may also be provided ona separate sleeve that is assembled with the dustcup assembly 1100.

An alternative embodiment of an outlet tube that may be used with thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 12. In this embodiment, the outlettube 1210 comprises an airflow deflector 1212 that is integrally moldedwith the outlet tube 1210. In embodiments in which the outlet tube 1210is installed through a hole through the bottom of the dustcup assembly(not shown), the airflow deflector 1212 is limited in size and shape tobeing insertable through the installation hole, but in embodiments inwhich it is installed through the open top end of the dustcup assembly,the airflow deflector 1212 may be larger. The airflow preferably has aflat, disk-like shape, which allows the outlet tube 1210 to be made byclamshell molds that form either lateral side of the outlet tube 1210with an third mold insert to form the hollow interior of the outlet tube1210. However, the deflector 1212 may be made with a compound, curved orangled surfaces, or any other deflector shapes known in the art. theproper molding techniques for such shapes will be understood to those ofordinary skill in the art based on the present disclosure.

Another embodiment of a dustcup assembly of the present invention thatis facilitated by the use of a two-part assembly is shown in FIGS. 13Aand 13B. In this embodiment, the dustcup assembly 1300 comprises asidewall 1302, a bottom wall 1304, and an outlet tube 1310 that exitsthrough the sidewall 1302. The outlet tube 1310 is installed usingscrews, cam-lock fasteners, or the like, as described previously herein.This construction would be relatively difficult or expensive withconventional injection molding techniques, but is greatly simplified byforming the outlet tube 1310 separately. Since the outlet tube 1310 ismanufactured separately from the sidewall 1302, it can also beeconomically manufactured with a plurality of perforations 1312 aroundits end to act as a fine or coarse filter, or to act as an emergencyscreen to prevent the filter (not shown), if used, from entering theoutlet tube 1310 and then the vacuum motor if it is torn or otherwisedisintegrates. Of course, this feature may be provided with any of theother embodiments of the invention as well.

A particular advantage of two-part construction of the present inventionis that this embodiment may be manufactured from any of the foregoingembodiments by molding the sidewall 1302 with an opening to receive theoutlet tube 1310, and covering the original opening through the bottomwall 1304 with an airtight cover (or vice versa for making any of theforegoing embodiments from the present embodiment). This facilitates themanufacture of a variety of products using a single sidewall as aplatform.

The installation of the embodiment of FIG. 13 into an exemplary vacuumcleaner is shown in FIG. 13B. Here, the vacuum cleaner comprises anupright vacuum having a nozzle base 1314 to which a rear housing 1316 ispivotally attached. the rear housing includes a dustcup assemblyreceiving portion 1318 having an air inlet connection 1320 and an airoutlet connection 1322. The inlet connection 1320 mates with the dustcupassembly inlet 1308, and the outlet connection mates with the outlettube 1310 when the dustcup assembly 1310 is installed. A suitable latch,as are known in the art, holds the dustcup assembly 1300 in place.

While the foregoing embodiments have depicted the sidewall beingcylindrical, this shape is not required, and conical, frusto-conical,and other shapes may be used. In addition the outlet tube may have anynumber of non-circular profiles. The use of the two-part assembly of thepresent invention also facilitates the manufacture of outlet tubeshaving relatively complex shapes. Referring to FIGS. 14A to 14G, anumber of exemplary variations are shown. These shapes may be used withany embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14A illustrates an alternative outlet tube 1410 a having arectangular profile. FIG. 14B illustrates an alternative outlet tube1410 b having a square profile. FIG. 14C illustrates and alternativeoutlet tube 1410 c having a triangular profile. Such rectilinearprofiles may, by virtue of not being circular, initiate the creation ofsub-cyclones within the dustcup assembly that help separate particlesfrom the air.

The embodiments of FIGS. 14D to 14F illustrate multi-part conduits,which have upper and lower portions having different shapes and/orsizes. In the embodiment of FIG. 14D, both outlet tube sections 1410 d′and 1410 d″ are rectangular, but the lower section 1410 d′ is largerthan the upper section 1410 d″. Of course, the opposite arrangement,that is, having the lower section 1410 d′ smaller than the upper section1410 d″, may also be used. In the embodiment of FIG. 14E, both outlettube sections 1410 e′ and 1410 e″ are square, but the lower section 1410e′ is rotated relative to the upper section 1410 e″. In the embodimentof FIG. 14F, the lower outlet tube section 1410 f′ is triangular, andthe upper outlet tube section 1410 f″ is cylindrical. These embodimentsare provided only by way of example, and many other embodiments will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the presentdisclosure and with routine experimentation with the present invention.Additional examples of outlet tube geometries and airflow enhancingcontours that may be produced on the outlet tube are provided in U.S.Pat. No. 6,419,719, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 14G illustrates still another embodiment of an alternative outlettube geometry of the present invention. In this embodiment, the outlettube 1410 g comprises an airfoil-like shape. While this airfoil shapemay be located in the center of the dustcup assembly 1400, it mayalternatively be located closer to the sidewall 1402. As the air in thedustcup assembly 1400 circles around the sidewall 1402 and past theairflow shaped outlet tube 1410, a lower pressure develops between theoutlet tube 1410 and the sidewall 1402, which is expected to increasethe efficiency of the cyclonic separating action. In this embodiment, anairfoil-shaped filter 1412 may be used to further assist with cycloneseparation and enhance the aesthetic quality of the device.

The present invention also allows the use of multiple outlet tubeshaving relatively complex geometry. Referring now to FIGS. 15A to 15C,in another embodiment of the invention the dustcup assembly 1500comprises a sidewall 1502, bottom wall 1504, and lid 1506. The singleoutlet tube of the previous embodiments is replaced by a pair of curvedoutlet tubes 1510 that extend downwardly in a spiral pattern that mayenhance the cyclonic airflow within the dustcup assembly 1500. Theoutlet tubes 1510 may be formed separately from one another, andseparately assembled to the bottom wall 1504, as described previouslyherein, or both outlet tubes 1510 may be formed as a single piece withthe bottom wall 1504 attaching them, and this assembly installed to thesidewall 1502. Other variations will be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art with consideration of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the a filter 1512 is located at the top of the tubes1510, but this is not required. If such a filter 1512 is provided, theoutlet tubes 1510 may be attached to the bottom of the filter 1512 todraw air from the filter 1512 in a tangential manner, which may enhancethe post-filter airflow through the device.

While the embodiments of the invention described above are preferred, itwill be recognized and understood that these embodiments are notintended to limit the invention, which is limited only by the appendedclaims. Various modifications may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

1. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing having an upperhousing end and a lower housing end; a handle associated with the upperhousing end; a base pivotally attached to the lower housing end, thebase comprising a floor inlet nozzle facing generally downwardlytherefrom; a dustcup assembly associated with at least one of thehousing and the base, the dustcup assembly comprising: a sidewalldefining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end, abottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlettherethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lid adapted to selectivelycover the open top, and a fluid conduit formed separately from thebottom wall and attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, thefluid conduit extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall;and a vacuum source associated with at least one of the housing and thebase, the vacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow thatenters the floor inlet nozzle, passes into the dustcup assembly throughthe dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcupoutlet.
 2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit isattached to the bottom wall by one or more screws.
 3. The vacuum cleanerof claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall bya rotating cam lock arrangement.
 4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1,wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by one or moreflexible latching tabs.
 5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein thefluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by snap-fit engagement. 6.The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is attached tothe bottom wall by an interference fit.
 7. The vacuum cleaner of claim1, wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by bayonetfittings.
 8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit isattached to the bottom wall by a fastening ring.
 9. The vacuum cleanerof claim 1, further comprising a gasket interposed between the fluidconduit and the bottom wall.
 10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, whereinthe fluid conduit comprises an airfoil cross-section.
 11. The vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or moreintegrally formed contours to assist with dust separation.
 12. Thevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit comprises one ormore integrally formed airflow deflectors.
 13. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the bottom wall comprises at least one additionaldustcup outlet, and the dustcup assembly comprises at least oneadditional fluid conduit attached to the bottom wall at the atadditional dustcup outlet and extending into the interior space definedby the sidewall.
 14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluidconduit comprises a first section having a first geometric profile, anda second section having a second geometric profile, the second geometricprofile being different from the first geometric profile.
 15. The vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to bereleasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is formed by thehousing.
 16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dustcup assemblyis adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lidis a separate part that is removable with the dustcup assembly from thehousing.
 17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dustcup inletenters the interior space defined by the sidewall through the lid. 18.The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dustcup inlet enters theinterior space defined by the sidewall through the sidewall.
 19. Thevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid conduit is releasablyattached to the bottom wall.
 20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, whereinthe fluid conduit is not releasably attached to the bottom wall.
 21. Avacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; one or more air inlet nozzlesassociated with the housing; a dustcup assembly associated with thehousing, the dustcup assembly comprising: a sidewall defining aninterior space having an open top end and a bottom end, a bottom wallextending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlettherethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lid adapted to selectivelycover the open top, and a fluid conduit formed separately from thebottom wall and releasably attached to the bottom wall at the dustcupoutlet, the fluid conduit extending into the interior space defined bythe sidewall; and a vacuum source associated with the housing, thevacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow that enters theone or more inlet nozzles, passes into the dustcup assembly through thedustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcupoutlet.
 22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the fluid conduit isattached to the bottom wall by one or more of the following devices: oneor more screws, a rotating cam lock arrangement, one or more flexiblelatching tabs, snap-fitting members, interference fitting members,bayonet fittings, a fastening ring.
 23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21,further comprising a gasket interposed between the fluid conduit and thebottom wall.
 24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the fluidconduit comprises an airfoil cross-section.
 25. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 21, wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrallyformed contours to assist with dust separation.
 26. The vacuum cleanerof claim 21, wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrallyformed airflow deflectors.
 27. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, whereinthe bottom wall comprises at least one additional dustcup outlet, andthe dustcup assembly comprises at least one additional fluid conduitattached to the bottom wall at the at additional dustcup outlet andextending into the interior space defined by the sidewall.
 28. Thevacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the fluid conduit comprises a firstsection having a first geometric profile, and a second section having asecond geometric profile, the second geometric profile being differentfrom the first geometric profile.
 29. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21,wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to be releasably attached to thehousing, and the dustcup lid is formed by the housing.
 30. The vacuumcleaner of claim 21, wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to bereleasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is a separatepart that is removable with the dustcup assembly from the housing. 31.The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the dustcup inlet enters theinterior space defined by the sidewall through the lid.
 32. The vacuumcleaner of claim 21, wherein the dustcup inlet enters the interior spacedefined by the sidewall through the sidewall.
 33. A vacuum cleanercomprising: a housing; one or more air inlet nozzles associated with thehousing; a dustcup assembly associated with the housing, the dustcupassembly comprising: a sidewall defining an interior space having anopen top end and a bottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottomend and having a dustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcuplid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduitattached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, the fluid conduitextending into the interior space defined by the sidewall, wherein thefluid conduit and at least a portion of the bottom wall form a combinedconduit/bottom wall part that is formed separately from the sidewall andattached thereto; and a vacuum source associated with the housing, thevacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow that enters theone or more inlet nozzles, passes into the dustcup assembly through thedustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcupoutlet.
 34. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33, wherein the combinedconduit/bottom wall part is removably attached to the sidewall by afastener that does not comprise threads formed on the combinedconduit/bottom wall part itself.
 35. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33,wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to thesidewall by one or more screws.
 36. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33,wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to thesidewall by a rotating cam lock arrangement.
 37. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 33, wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached tothe sidewall by one or more flexible latching tabs.
 38. The vacuumcleaner of claim 33, wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part isattached to the sidewall by snap-fit engagement.
 39. The vacuum cleanerof claim 33, wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attachedto the sidewall by an interference fit.
 40. The vacuum cleaner of claim33, wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to thesidewall by bayonet fittings.
 41. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33,wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to thesidewall by a fastening ring.
 42. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33,further comprising a gasket interposed between the combinedconduit/bottom wall part and the sidewall.
 43. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 33, wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is releasablyattached to the sidewall.
 44. The vacuum cleaner of claim 33, whereinthe combined conduit/bottom wall part is not releasably attached to thesidewall.